Blackhawks, Penguins to face off in Soldier Field

NHL planning several outdoor games for 2014

Chicago and Pittsburgh will meet in Soldier Field next season. Not for a football game but an outdoor hockey game on a temporary rink.

The NHL announced Wednesday that the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins will meet next March 1 at 8 p.m. ET for a regular-season game as part of its 2014 outdoor series.

In a previously announced outdoor game, the Detroit Red Wings will play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 1, 2014, in Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. Several other yet-to-be-announced outdoor games are planned for next season.

"Our fans and our teams love outdoor games and we are thrilled the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will present a number of these experiences to a large number of our fans in a variety of National Hockey League markets,” commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The Chicago game, at Soldier Field, will be a matchup of two recent Stanley Cup champions at a landmark stadium."

The outdoor game will be the second for Chicago. On Jan. 1, 2009, the Blackhawks faced the Detroit Red Wings in Wrigley Field.

"Hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins at iconic Soldier Field promises to be a unique experience for our organization and our fans," Blackhawks president and CEO John McDonough said.

Entering the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Blackhawks and Penguins are the top seeds in their respective conferences.

"Soldier Field is one of the iconic venues in our country, a stadium that's filled with so much sports history. We look forward to writing a new chapter with the Blackhawks on March 1.,” Penguins CEO and president David Morehouse said.

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